Musical instrument



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

D. H. ROWE. MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

No. 556,519. Patented Mar. 17,1896.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2. D. H. ROWB. MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

No.. 556,519. PatentedMaLl7, 1896 ya? :IEC- 1' EIDE! DI] :IEDE 1:]

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL II. ROIVE, OF GREENUP, ILLINOIS.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 556,519, dated March 17, 1896.

Application iiled September 30, 1895x Serial No. 564,141. (No model.)

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Be it known that I, DANIEL II. ROWE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Greenup, in the county of Cumberland and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Musical Instruments; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to musical instruments, and more particularly to a device which may be attached to all kinds of keyed musical instruments, such as pianos, organs, melodeons, dac.

The object of the invention is to provide means by which such instruments may be mechanically played, the music being carried upon a strip provided with raised portions which are arranged upon said strip to represent the tunes to be played and which are adapted to be brought into engagement with the keys of the instrument.

IVith these objects in view the invention consists of certain features of construction and combination of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a view in perspective of a portion of the front of an organ-case and a portion of the organkeys, showing the mechanical playing device attached thereto. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the front portion of an organ, a cross-sectional view of the mechanical playing device, and a side elevation of one of thev playing-keys of the organ. Fig. 3 is a plan view of one of the music-sheets used in connection with the mechanical playing device. Fig. 4 is avertical longitudinal sectional view through one of the music-sheets- Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of a modified form of the music-sheet used in connection with the improved mechanical playing device.

In the drawings, l denotes an organ, and 2 denotes my improved attachment. The attachment consists of a frame which comprises arms 2',having upwardly-inclined ends 3, the cross-bars 4 connecting said arms, and forwardly-projecting journal-blocks 5. To the inclined ends 3 of the arms are journaled rollers 6 and 7 one being slightly above and to the rear of the other, while in the jourinl-blocks is journaled a winding-roller 8, which is provided with a crank 9 for turning it. In the inner edges of the vertical portions of the arms are openings or slots IO, which embrace a projecting portion of the instrument-frame immediately in front of the keyboard of the instrument, and set-screws ll work through these arms and clamp them to the instrument.

12 denotes a iiexible sheet which has raised portions arranged upon its surface to represent the diifereut notes of the piece to be played. This sheet is passed between the rollers journaled in the inclined ends of the arms, and has its lower end engaged with the winding-roller, preferably by being inserted into a kerf 13, formed in said roller.

In operation the winding-roller is rotated, which will cause the raised portions of the sheet to be brought into engagement with the keys of the instrument, thus depressing the keys and producing the desired notes.

In Figs. 3 and et I have shown the sheet provided with blocks; but it is evident that the sheet may be embossed, as shown in Fig. 5, so as to produce said blocks, it only being necessary to make the sheet of stiffer material.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Fatent, is-

A mechanical playing attachment for keyed musical instruments, as pianos, organs and the like, consisting of a frame, provided with arms 2Q having upwardly-inclined ends and forwardly-projecting journal-blocks, clamping devices for securing the frame to the instrument-frame in front of the keyboard, guide-rollers journaled in said frame, one above and the other immediately in front of the keyboard of the musical instrument, a longitudinally-kerfed winding-roller journaled in said arms at the front ends of the same, a Iiexible sheet provided with raised portions on its surface representing the different notes of music to be played, connected at its front end to the kerfed winding-roller, and passed vertically between the guide-rollers to cause the notes represented thereon to engage the proper keys when the windingroller is operated, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DANIEL H. ROWE. lVitnesses ANDREW R. BosvvoRTH, ROBERT N. BUTTON.

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